Who is Mary of Nazareth, and Why Should We Care? (MS)

Course Summary

In this course, we will introduce students to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. We will explain who this woman from Nazareth is and what the Catholic Church teaches about her and her role in salvation history. We will also give students a deeper appreciation for why knowing her personally is important to living the Christian faith.

Successful completion of this course earns 2.5 CEU's.

General Course Objectives

• Offer reasons why Christians should learn about the Blessed Virgin Mary and get to know her better.
• Visualize Mary as a real, historical person—as a woman formed by her culture, Palestinian Judaism of the first-century.
• Convey what the Church teaches about the role of Mary in salvation history in terms of a dual maternity: as the mother of Jesus Christ and as the spiritual mother of all Christians.
• Explain Marian apparitions and their place in the life of the Church.
• Discern how Mary might help in promoting ecumenical dialogue among Christians and serve as bridge in interreligious dialogue between Christians and non-Christians.

Course Materials

• No books required. All readings are online.

Course Structure and Highlights

• Week 1: Why Know Mary?
  • Explain why knowing Mary is essential to living the Catholic faith.
  • Describe Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, as an instrument who reveals the identity of her Son.
  • Describe Mary, the first disciple of Jesus Christ, as the premier witness who points Christians and the rest of the world to her Son as their end.
  • Describe Mary, the spiritual mother of Christians, as a teacher who models a fully human life, shows her spiritual children how to love, and leads them to participate in the divine life of love.
• Week 2: Mary, a First-Century Jewess
  • Recount some biographical facts about Mary and her life, and describe how the Jewish culture of her times gives some context to those facts.
  • Construct a character sketch of Mary from her historical circumstances and the Jewish culture of first-century Palestine.
  • Articulate how knowing Mary better as a woman of her day might help in seeing her as a real person and developing a relationship with her.
• Week 3: Mary’s Maternal Role in the Story of Salvation
  • Recount the role that Mary played in salvation history as the mother of Jesus Christ, and articulate why this role is important.
  • Describe the role that Mary continues to play as the mother of Christians, both individually and as a whole.
  • Explain why the Church venerates Mary and how this veneration differs from the worship due to God alone.
• Week 4: Appreciating Marian Apparitions
  • Explain the place of Marian apparitions in an authentically Christian spiritual life.
  • Describe how Marian apparitions can speak to people of a particular time and place.
  • Articulate how Marian apparitions might be relevant today in bringing people closer to Jesus Christ.
• Week 5: Mary, a Bridge for Dialogue
  • Articulate the difference between ecumenical and interreligious dialogue.
  • Propose ways in which Mary might help in promoting ecumenical dialogue among Christians.
  • Suggest ways in which Mary might serve as a bridge in interreligious dialogue with non-Christians.

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